Who doesn’t love chocolate truffles? They offer the essence of chocolate and a surefire mood
enhancer.

Just one inspires happiness.

How nice — given the richness of a chocolate truffle, whose chocolate is blended with sugar and
cream — that chocolate is considered good for people.

Still, if someone wanted to jettison some of the calories in the treat without sacrificing its
lush flavor, where would he or she start? Instead of the chocolate or sugar, what about cutting the
cream?

The trick involves not eliminating the creaminess of the truffle.

The solution: chestnuts.

The brilliant work-around was discovered years ago by Sally Schneider, author of
The Art of Low-Calorie Cooking.

She found that roasted and pureed chestnuts provide a super-creamy texture for treats such as
truffles.

Because chestnuts don’t have a strong flavor, they don’t hinder the chocolate essence.

An added benefit: Unlike most other nuts, chestnuts are low in fat and high in complex
carbohydrates.

Of course, chestnuts — or at least those roasted on an open fire — have fueled Christmas lore
for ages (and received a boost when Nat “King” Cole recorded a version of
The Christmas Song in 1946).

Peeled and roasted chestnuts are widely available in grocery stores during the holiday season.
That’s what I’ve used in this recipe. But be sure to properly simmer the nuts in water as directed
in the recipe. This guarantees they’ll puree smoothly. You don’t want chestnut chunks in the
truffles.

The recipe also calls for instant espresso, which amplifies the chocolate flavor while adding a
hint of coffee flavor. But you can leave it out if you don’t like coffee. Likewise, I suggest
adding a couple of teaspoons of any of several different liquors, all of which pair nicely with
chocolate.

Feel free to swap in your favorite, or skip the liquor. Either way, you’ll be happy,
guaranteed.